Kendra Montague, Pine River

2021 Pine River ATHLETE YEAR of the

KENDRA MONTAGUE

Kendra Montague was also a key player for Pine River’s girls basketball team.

LEROY – Pine River’s Kendra Montague will be going to Cornerstone University for track and field but she was talented in other sports.

This included basketball and Montague was confident Pine River’s girls basketball team could be a force throughout the season.

She’s a senior in her third season for the Bucks.

“The first season (2018-19) did not go so great when we were 0-20,” Montague said. “Last year (2019-20), we really improved a lot.”

The Bucks in 2019-20 won six games under first-year coach Paula Justin. They were around the same last season.

“We were a lot faster and we moved the ball a lot better,” she said. “We started to attack the hoop and play more.”

The first week of Pine River girls basketball practice was conducted before all winter workouts were locked down by the state health department because of rising COVID numbers. Athletes are still waiting to get the OK from the state to resume practices and start games.

At 5-foot-10 inches, Montague is among the tallest players on the team.

“I think I’m pretty quick, but I have to work on boxing out,” she said.

“I think I shoot best at the wing,” she said.

Montague noted preseason practices will be critical considering the limited amount of time teams have been able to work out because of COVID.

“The team is looking pretty good,” Montague said during a pre-lockdown practice. “We have one of the faster teams. We have a lot of young players, but they’re all good.

“I’m working on boxing out, being more aggressive and finishing off.”

For the recently completed track and field season, Montague PRed in the 100 and 200 and got to do three events at the state meet with the open 200 and three relays.

Montague was second in the 200 dash at the regionals and was 16th at the state finals. Her personal record came at Ludington with a 27.30. Montague was the third leg on a 4x200 meter relay team which took eighth at the state meet.

For the 4x400 relay team, she took 13th. Both relay teams won the Highland Conference titles.

It was her best times in track and field and it was fun having a season after last year’s got canceled.

“I was very thankful and I’m happy I made it through the season without getting quarantined,” Montague said. “I almost exceeded my expectations. I wanted to break 13 seconds in the 100. Even a 12.99 would have been OK. I got to 13.06 but I’m still satisfied with that time.”

Pine River athlete’s outstanding track and field career leads to college future